Rotary reel electric lawn mower



Oct. 6, 1942. w. c. KLEIN 2,298,135

ROTARY REEL ELECTRIC LAWN MOWER Filed Oct. 31, 1940 s Sheets-Sheet 1 vM'Zlz'am 6'. Klein 06h 9 V w. c. KLEIN 2,298,135

ROTARY REEL ELECTRIC LAWN MOWER Filed Oct. 31, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2Oct. 6, 1942. w. c. KLEIN 2,298,135

ROTARY REEL ELECTRIC LAWN MOWER Filed Oct. 31, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 3William E Klein Patented Oct. 6, 1942 warren STATES Parent orr c2,298,135 ROTARY ELECTRIC LAWN MOWER William G. Klein, Allentown, Pa.Application Qctober 31, 1940, Serial No. 363,741

2 Claims.

companying drawings illustrating an operative embodiment.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view of the mower in top elevation, partly being brokenaway to disclose details;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the mower, partly broken away;

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the plane of line 33 of Figure1;

Figure 4 is a detail section taken on the plane of line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a detail section taken on the plane of line 5-5 of Figure 2;and

Figure 6 is a detail section taken on the plane of line 66 of Figure 2.

Referring specifically to the drawings wherein like reference charactersdesignate like or similar parts, a pair of parallel side plates areprovided at H] each having a short axle or stud H rigid therewith, andwhich axles are aligned and have ground wheels 12 removably journaledthereon.

Suitable shelf means is disposed between the side plates I 0, andrigidly connects them together and may consist of a pair of angle barsI3. An electric motor I4 is removably mounted on the angle bars l3 inany suitable manner. The main shaft of said electric motor, as at 15, isdisposed at a right angle to said angle bars l3 and has a worm gear l6keyed thereto which is enmeshed with a worm wheel [1 loose on a drivingshaft l9 and positioned against displacement in one direction by a fixedcollar l8. Said driving shaft I9 is journaled at opposite ends inbearings of the side plates [0, and between such side plates and wheelsl2, carrying combined pinions and clutches 2|. These members 2| havegear teeth 22, enmeshed with internal annular gear teeth 23 within thewheels [2. Such members 2|, when the motor I4 is energized, drive thewheels I2 when such members 2! are clutched to the .movably carried.

shaft I 9 through the medium of pins which are slidable in .diametricrecesses .25 of the shaft I79 and engageable with shoulders 26interiorly of members 2|. Such clutching is constructed and arranged forforward propulsion of the wheels l2. However, upon movement 'of themower in the opposite direction, the wheels l2 will simply slip, as inusual mower constructions, relative'to the remainder'of the machine,since internal cam surfaces 21 in the members 2|, will simply slide thepins 24 transversely of the shaft l9 so that there can b no clutchengagement between the same and shoulders 26. T

In the plates ID, a cutter or reel shaft 28 is journaled and a reel .29is suitably carried thereby, having any desired number of cutters 'orblades at 30 which coact with a relatively fixed cutter jblade 3|carried by extensions 32 "of the side plates l0. Said cutter blade 3|is' adju'stable relatively to the blades 30 and to this'end is pivotallyconnected as at 33 to' the extensions 32 and the rear portion thereofextends. between upper and lower screw means 34, which are "ad-J'ustable to secure the .blade' .3lat various 'adjustments about theaxis 33. At the rear end of the extensions 32, a trailer roller .35 is're- In order to operate the reel 29 through the rotation of the groundwheels l2, pinions 36 are carried by the shaft 28 and enmeshed with thepreviously mentioned gear teeth 23.

The mower has a suitable handle as at 31, from the lower end of whichbrackets 38 extend and are pivotally mounted at 39 to trunnions on theside plates I0. Such handle 31 at the upper end has a crossbar 40,through one side of which, an armored cable 4! extends and thenceextends downwardly along the handle 31, being suitably guided, to theelectric motor I 4, with suitable connections to a conventional switch42 mounted for instance on one of the angle bars l3. Electrically fromany suitable source may be supplied through the cable M to the electricmotor l4, whose operation is dependent upon the closing of theconventional switch 42.

The worm wheel I! is part of or integral with a clutch having teeth forinstance at 44 with which the teeth 45 of a sleevelike clutch member 46cooperate. Such sleevelike clutch member 46 is slidable' on shaft l9 toengage or disengage the teeth 43 and 45 and it also is mounted to turnwith the shaft l9 through the medium of a spline as at 4?. The clutchteeth 44 and 45 are normally disengaged through the contractile actionof a s ring 48 connected to one of the side plates l0 and to an L-shapedshifting lever 49 which is pivotally connected to the clutch member 46at lugs 50 on a band 51 surrounding the same and pivotally connected at523 to one of the angle bars l3.

, A linkconnection 52 extends from the lever 49 to the switch 42 so asto actuate the switch 42 through the shifting ,of the clutch. When theclutch teeth are disengaged, the switch 42 will be opened but when theclutch teeth are engaged the 's'witchwill be closed. Such normally openclutch '46 is adapted to be closed at the will of the operator throughthe medium of a draw element such as a suitably guided cable or wire 53which is connected to the lever 49 and extends along the side of thehandle 3'! to a lever 54, relatively close to one end of the transversebar 40 of the handle and which is pivoted at 55 to a suitable part ofthe handle.

It is to be noted that one or more headlights 55 may be employed toenable operation of the mower at night. Such headlights are preferablylocated on opposite sides of the motor and electrically energized fromthe same source as the motor.

As a result of the construction described, the mower may be operated dayor night and normally operated like the conventional mower since theclutch teeth at 44 and 45 are disengaged and which feature is of greatvalue where electricity is not available and in the event of failure ofthe motor to operate. When the lever 54 is moved toward the handle bar49, the clutch teeth at 44 and 45 will be thrown in and at the same timethe switch 42 will be closed so that an electric circuit through thecable 4|, is provided through the motor l4 in order to drive, throughgearing I6 and H, the shaft l9, wheels 22, ground wheels [2, pinions 36and reel 29.

Various changes may be resorted to provided they fall within the spiritand scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A mower having side plates, ground wheels outwardly of and journaledon said side plates, said side plates being approximately coextensivewith the area of the ground wheels, shelf means rigidly connecting theside plates, an electric motor mounted on the shelf means disposedprimarily above the axis of rotation of the ground wheels, a shaft abovesaid axis journaled in the side plates, gearing between the electricmotor and said shaft, gearing between said shaft and the ground wheelsinternally of the latter, the first mentioned gearing including a clutchhaving a movable part and a fixed part, means for the transmission ofpower to the electric motor including a switch, a handle for the mower,means controlled from the handle to shift the movable clutch part, meansnormally holding said movable clutch part disengaged from the fixed partso that in the event of failure of the motor the mower may be operatedby the ground wheels, a

connection from the movable clutch part to the switch to operate thelatter, a reel, said reel having a shaft journaled in the side plates onthe opposite side of said axis to the first mentioned shaft, and gearingto drive the last mentioned shaft from the gearing of the ground wheels.

2. A mower having side plates, ground wheels outwardly of and journaledon said side plates, shelf means rigidly connecting the side plates, anelectric niotor and control switch therefor mounted on the shelf meansdisposed primarily above the axis of rotation of the ground wheels, ashaft above said axis journaled in the side plates, gearing between theelectric motor and said shaft, gearing between said shaft and the groundwheels internally of the latter, the first mentioned gearing including aclutch having a movable part mounted on said shaft, means normallymaintaining the movable partof the clutch disengaged so that in theevent of failure of the motor the mower may be operated by the groundWheels, a connection from the movable clutch part to the switch tooperate the latter through movement of the movable clutch part, a reel,said reel having a shaft journaled in the side plates on the oppositeside of said axis to the first mentioned shaft, and gearing to drive thelast mentioned shaft from the gearing of the ground wheels.

WILLIAM C. KLEIN.

